B'nai Israel Synagogue

Remember When…

The Webmaster — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:47:07 +0000

We recently recovered some film footage of the Torahs making the trip from the original prayer house to the (then) brand new B’nai Israel Synagoge on 9th Ave. This is some amazing footage from 1954 and was made possible by the generosity of Ms. Nora Eskin. In the near future, we would like to have a screening for the members so that we can identify some of the people in the movie. In the meantime, enjoy this rare treasure.

Moving of The Torah – 1954 from B'nai Israel on Vimeo.

2012 Worldwide Wrap

The Webmaster — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:03:17 +0000

Once again, the members of B’nai Israel participated in the Worldwide Wrap, where some 200+ congregations and thousands of participants took on the mitzvah of wrapping teffilin on Superbowl Sunday. This year was another great event with lots of participants, including some children from the religious school.

2nd Annual World Wide Wrap

The Webmaster — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:33:17 +0000

Please join us again on Superbowl Sunday for B’nai Israel’s second year of participating in the Worldwide Wrap. Last year was a huge success and we hope to have another great event. This year we will be starting the event with a breakfast sponsored by the Men’s Club in conjunction with the religious school’s breakfast in the Abe Levin Auditorium.

What: The event will start with a short lesson on the tradition and details of tefillin by Rabbi Gerson. Learn how to wrap, then join us for a short weekday Shacharit service. Breakfast prior to and a nosh to follow.

When: February 5th, 2012

Where: B’nai Israel Synagogue – Abe Levin Auditorium & Main Sanctuary.

Time: 9:30am

Who: Any Jew above the age of 13. Both men and women are welcome! If you have tefillin, bring em’. If not, we have a few sets you can use.

RSVP to Alan Shemaria via email at: mensclub@bnaiisraelpensacola.org by if you plan on attending.

What is the Worldwide Wrap?

For several years the Conservative Movement has sponsored an event where synagogues from around the world all wrap tefillin on Superbowl Sunday. The idea is to provide a fun and easy way to learn about this special mitzvah whether you wrap six times a week, or have never wrapped.

Shofar’s Voice – February 2012

The Webmaster — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:09:13 +0000

In this issue:

Sisterhood Torah Fund Luncheon and new pin design
A lesson on kaddish from the rabbi
A history of triennial Torah readong from the President.
An exciting month of activities from Sisterhood
Hamantashen order forms!

Download your copy here: Shofar’s Voice Feb 2012

Photos from the Professor Israeli Talk

The Webmaster — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:58:26 +0000

On January 5th, 2012 the B’nai Israel auditorium was packed with attendees to hear Professor Raphael Israeli, from the Hebrew University in Israel speak about the history of Islam and its growing influence in the world. Professor Israeli fielded numerous questions from the mixed audience and enlightened us all about the potential threats to Jews and Christians in the Muslim lands.

There were some wonderful photos taken at the event where you can see how large and captivated the crowd was. Special thanks to photographer Mark Saltz for his great work.

Shofar’s Voice – January 2012

The Webmaster — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:40:23 +0000

In this issue:

B’nai Israel receives a new Torah!
Our second year participating in the Worldwide Wrap.
A message of tolerance from the President.
A recap of the year with the Men’s Club and Yachad.
Several flyers for upcoming events.

Download your copy here: Shofar’s Voice Jan 2012

Chanukah Party 2011

The Webmaster — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:38:23 +0000

Click on the flyer for a larger version.

A talk by Professor Raphael Israeli

The Webmaster — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:35:01 +0000

B’nai Israel Synagogue Presents

Jews and Christians in Muslim Lands

A talk by Raphael Israeli, Professor of Islamic and Chinese History at Hebrew University

January 5, 2012 at 7:00PM

B’nai Israel Synagogue

For directions and RSVP call 850-433-7311 or send us an email

About Professor Israeli

A native of Fes, Morocco who emigrated to Israel in his teens, Professor Israeli is a graduate of Hebrew University in History and Arabic Literature and earned a PhD in Chinese and Islamic studies from the University of California at Berkeley. Author of 30 books and some 100 scholarly articles on the Modern Middle East, Islamic terrorism, Islam in Asia, and the Opening of China by the French. He is fluent in several languages including English, French, Arabic, Hebrew, and Chinese. He has also held several visiting professorships in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Japan and the United States.

Special Thanks to the Bearman family for sponsoring this event.

Shofar’s Voice – December 2011

The Webmaster — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 04:28:47 +0000

In this issue:

Looking forward to Chanukah with Rabbi Gerson.
A fantastic article about the importance of Torah and the future of our community Torahs by Brian Sontag.
Veterans Day Dinner recap.
Hadassah celebrates 100 years.

Download your copy here: Shofar’s Voice December 2011

Cafe Israel: The IDF

The Webmaster — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:04:21 +0000

Cafe Israel Presents:

A program on the IDF and Israeli Special Forces

Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011

at B’nai Israel Synagogue

Come early for Havdalah at 6:30 PM

Program at 7:00 PM

Refreshments will be served!